Munitions

Mortar shells

Also known as
  • Mortar rounds
  • Mortar bombs
  • Mortar ammunition

Mortar shells are fin-stabilized cartridges or bombs fired from smoothbore, high-angle mortar tubes, most commonly in modern 60 mm, 81/82 mm, and 120 mm families. U.S. Army and industry sources group current mortar ammunition by effect, including high explosive, smoke, illumination, training, guided, and enhanced-lethality rounds.

Mortar shells, Fin-stabilized mortar ammunition, Munitions
Image source: Wikimedia 81mm mortar rounds
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Multiple countries
Type
Fin-stabilized mortar ammunition
Service note
20th century-present
Unit cost
Not publicly documented
Produced
Early 20th century-present

Specifications

Projectile type
Fin-stabilized mortar cartridge or bomb for high-angle indirect fire
Common modern calibers
60 mm, 81 mm, 82 mm, and 120 mm families
Typical effects
High explosive, smoke, visible or infrared illumination, training, enhanced-lethality, and guided precision rounds
Launch method
Normally fired from muzzle-loaded smoothbore mortar tubes
Fuzing
Point-detonating, delay, proximity, time, or electronic fuzes depending on model and effect
Representative firing systems
60 mm, 81 mm, and 120 mm mortar systems; 120 mm examples include towed, ground-mounted, and carrier-mounted weapons
Construction And Caliber Families

Modern mortar shells are best treated as ammunition families rather than one fixed model. The common pattern is a fin-stabilized projectile fired from a muzzle-loaded smoothbore tube, with propellant increments and a fuze selected for the mission.

Light family

60 mm rounds support portable light mortar systems, with U.S. examples spanning high-explosive, illumination, smoke, and training types.

Medium family

81 mm and related 82 mm families cover crew-served medium mortars, including HE, visible and infrared illumination, smoke, and practice rounds.

Heavy family

120 mm mortar rounds include HE, white-phosphorus smoke, visible or IR illumination, full-range training, enhanced-lethality, and guided precision designs.

Firing Weapons

Mortar shells are normally fired by mortar systems matched to their caliber; the existing catalog includes both a broad mortar-class entry and a 120 mm heavy mortar entry.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
Mortars, Infantry and artillery mortar class, ArtilleryMortarsHigh-angle indirect-fire weapon class

Army and Marine Corps references describe mortar shells as ammunition for smoothbore, muzzle-loaded mortar systems and group common shell families by caliber and effect.

Sources: Army Mortar Ammunition, FM 23-90 Mortars

120 mm mortar, Heavy mortar, Artillery120 mm mortarHeavy mortar system

Army and Marine Corps references in the catalog identify 120 mm HE, smoke, illumination, and training cartridges for M120/M121-family 120 mm mortar systems, making the 120 mm mortar entry the closest broad firing-system link for this ammunition family.

Sources: Army Mortar Ammunition, FM 23-90 Mortars

Carrier Aircraft

Myanmar reporting linked mortar shells to gyrocopters used for low-altitude hand-release attacks.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
Gyrocopters, Gyroplane / autogyro, Aircraft & UAVsGyrocoptersGyrocopter

AP reported that Myanmar military gyrocopters could remain aloft while carrying 30 to 40 mortar shells for hand release, and Fortify Rights described the same broader attack pattern as a low-altitude bombing method using operator-released unguided explosives.

Sources: AP report on Myanmar gyrocopters, Fortify Rights report on paramotors and gyrocopters

Timeline

Mortar shells Key Events

  1. Stokes mortar bomb pattern enters wartime use

    Imperial War Museums' Stokes bomb example shows the First World War mortar projectile as a metal cylinder with a fuze head and a cartridge container for the propelling charge.

    Sources: 3 in Stokes Mortar Bomb

  2. U.S. ordnance manual separates Stokes and French 81 mm lineages

    TM 9-2005 identifies the 3-inch Stokes trench mortar as British and the 81 mm trench mortar as French, while describing fin-stabilized mortar ammunition for smoothbore flight.

    Sources: TM 9-2005 Ordnance Materiel

  3. Modern U.S. mortar manuals codify service families

    FM 23-90 covers U.S. 60 mm, 81 mm, 4.2-inch, and 120 mm mortar ammunition sections, including high-explosive, smoke, illumination, training, and fuze-handling context.

    Sources: FM 23-90 Mortars

  4. Guided and enhanced-lethality mortar ammunition matures

    Elbit's mortar ammunition portfolio describes 60 mm, 81 mm, and 120 mm families plus GPS/INS, semi-active laser, proximity-fuzed, and enhanced-lethality 120 mm mortar products.

    Sources: Elbit mortar ammunition portfolio

Effect And Fuze Types
Effect classRepresentative mechanismSource-backed example
High explosivePoint-detonating or delay fuzeArmy references list high-explosive 60 mm, 81 mm, and 120 mm families; General Dynamics identifies the M933A1 120 mm HE cartridge with a point-detonating/delay fuze.
IlluminationTime fuze and suspended light packageArmy references list visible-light and infrared illumination mortar ammunition for night observation and target confirmation.
SmokeWhite-phosphorus, red-phosphorus, or smoke payloadThe U.S. Army lists 60 mm and 120 mm white-phosphorus smoke rounds and 81 mm red-phosphorus smoke rounds.
Guided precisionGPS/INS, semi-active laser, proximity, or electronic modesElbit lists guided 120 mm mortar munitions such as Stylet, Rapier, Iron Sting, and a laser/GPS guidance kit.
Media

Mortar shells Images

Mortar shells, Fin-stabilized mortar ammunition, Munitions - view 1
Source: Wikimedia mortar shells photo
Mortar shells, Fin-stabilized mortar ammunition, Munitions - view 2
Source: Wikimedia mortar round photo
Related Weapon Systems
Mortar bombs, 60mm, 60 mm mortar ammunition, MunitionsMunitionsMortar bombs, 60mm60 mm mortar ammunition60 mm mortar bombs are fin-stabilized light mortar rounds made in high-explosive, smoke, illumination, infrared-illumination, and training variants for portable 60 mm mortar tubes. This entry treats the caliber as a family rather than a single national model: Boko Haram/ISWAP evidence is based on recovered rounds and IED adaptation, Myanmar evidence includes both fired and air-dropped mortar rounds, and Ukrainian evidence covers 60 mm mortar shells integrated into FPV strike drones.
Mortar bombs, 82 mm, 82 mm high-explosive mortar bomb, MunitionsMunitionsMortar bombs, 82 mm82 mm high-explosive mortar bombThis entry covers the 82 mm mortar-bomb caliber class rather than a single factory model. Sources document the class in insurgent and paramilitary materiel from Boko Haram-linked forces in the Lake Chad Basin, Islamic State stocks in Syria and Iraq, and RSF-associated PP87 mortar ammunition in Sudan, while manufacturer and ordnance references show that model-specific weight, filling, fuze, and range figures vary across O-832, PP87, HE, smoke, illumination, and extended-range families.
Mortar bombs, 120mm, Heavy mortar ammunition, MunitionsMunitionsMortar bombs, 120mmHeavy mortar ammunition120 mm mortar bombs are fin-stabilized heavy mortar projectiles for compatible 120 mm mortar launchers, covering high-explosive, smoke, illumination, training, extended-range, and guided families. Published examples vary sharply by manufacturer and launcher qualification: conventional HE rounds commonly list 13-16 kg class masses, product-specific explosive fillings, point-detonating or proximity fuzes, and range limits tied to barrel length, pressure limits, smoothbore qualification, or turreted-system requirements. In the Boko Haram insurgency, Nigerian Army reporting documented recovered 120 mm mortar bombs as insurgent materiel rather than confirmed firing use.
Mortar bombs, 81mm, 81 mm mortar bomb, MunitionsMunitionsMortar bombs, 81mm81 mm mortar bomb81 mm mortar bombs are fin-stabilized ammunition families made by many arsenals and defense manufacturers for medium mortars, with high-explosive, smoke, illumination, infrared-illumination, and training variants. Documented conflict use in this catalog includes Boko Haram improvised explosive devices made from captured mortar bombs, U.S. transfers of 81 mm mortar rounds to Ukraine, and Myanmar Civil War reporting of both SAC mortar fire and resistance drone drops.
Mortars, Infantry and artillery mortar class, ArtilleryArtilleryMortarsInfantry and artillery mortar classMortars are short-barreled, high-angle indirect-fire weapons used by infantry, artillery units, and armed groups for close support, harassment, and attacks on positions behind cover. The catalog entry treats mortars as a broad weapon class because the direct conflict sources usually document mortar use without identifying exact calibers or models, including Philippine government support fires at Marawi, Hezbollah fire at Mount Dov, jihadist attacks in Mali and Sinai, FARC dissident improvised mortars in Colombia, 2023 Sudan War battlefield use, and Cambodia-accused cross-border fire.

Sources

Army Mortar AmmunitionPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports general mortar-ammunition background and the common 60 mm, 81 mm, and 120 mm family structure used for mortar shells. | Accessed: 2026-07-02FM 23-90 MortarsPublisher: U.S. Army / U.S. Marine Corps | Note: Supports the mortar shell's general role as fin-stabilized mortar ammunition used for indirect fire, smoke, illumination, and high-explosive effects. | Accessed: 2026-07-02AP report on Myanmar gyrocoptersPublisher: Associated Press | Note: Supports the Myanmar gyrocopter carriage context: AP reported that Myanmar military gyrocopters could stay aloft while carrying 30 to 40 mortar shells for hand release. The conflict-backed unidentified munition row is kept on the singular Mortar shell entry. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Fortify Rights report on paramotors and gyrocoptersPublisher: Fortify Rights | Note: Supports the Myanmar light-aircraft attack pattern and reported operator-released unguided explosives, including 60 mm mortar shells and more recent 120 mm shells. The conflict-backed unidentified munition row is kept on the singular Mortar shell entry. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Wikimedia 81mm mortar roundsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the primary mortar-round illustration used on the page. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Wikimedia mortar shells photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a mortar-shell photograph in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Wikimedia mortar round photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a mortar-round photograph in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-06-27General Dynamics mortar munitionsPublisher: General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems | Note: Supports manufacturer background for modern U.S. mortar bodies, components, and examples of 60 mm and 120 mm mortar munitions including HE, smoke, illumination, and training families. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Elbit mortar ammunition portfolioPublisher: Elbit Systems | Note: Supports modern mortar-ammunition family context, including 60 mm, 81 mm, and 120 mm HE, smoke, illumination, training, electronic-fuzed, and guided mortar-munition examples. | Accessed: 2026-07-023 in Stokes Mortar BombPublisher: Imperial War Museums | Note: Supports early Stokes mortar bomb construction context, including cylindrical body, fuze head, and cartridge-container arrangement. | Accessed: 2026-07-02TM 9-2005 Ordnance MaterielPublisher: War Department / Ordnance School | Note: Supports historical mortar-ammunition background, including Stokes and French 81 mm lineages and fin-stabilized smoothbore mortar ammunition behavior. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Yugoimport 120 mm MortarsPublisher: Yugoimport SDPR | Note: Supports relationship context for published catalog examples of Serbian 120 mm mortar shells in the broader mortar-shell family. | Accessed: 2026-07-02